Calamares

Calamares which is the Spanish word for squid is what the Filipino Deep Fried Squid dish is called. It is another most favorite dish in the Philippines, either with rice or with ice cold beer (as pulutan that is). It is very easy to cook. Perhaps this explains the increasing number of street vendors selling calamares nowadays.

This is usually served as an appetizer but in the Philippines, it is considered as a main dish. Calamares is delicious, simple, and really easy to cook. Try it!

Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 5 mins Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

12 pcs medium-sized squid, cleaned, innards removed and sliced into rings (You can include cleaned tentacles as well. Just remove the beak and eyes.)

2 eggs

1 ½ cup panko bread flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½Tbsp fresh lemon extract

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1Tbsp garlic powder

Salt

blackpepper

1 pc lemon, cut into wedges for garnishing

2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Procedure:

1. Sprinkle squid with ½ tsp blackpepper. 2. In a bowl, mix lemon extract, fish sauce and garlic powder. Add the squid. Mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Drain. Pat dry the squid with paper towels. This is necessary so the breading won't fall off when frying.

3. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the flour. Mix well.

5. Lightly dust each squid ring with flour. Dip in beaten eggs then to the Panko breadcrumbs.

6. Using a deep fryer or chip pan, deep fry the squid rings until the color of the outer part turns medium brown (about 5 minutes).

7. Remove the fried squid rings from the pan and drain on paper towels.

Do you pat dry your squid before putting the breading? As I've mentioned in step #2, this is necessary so the breading won't fall off when frying. The drier the squid the more it will hold onto the coating more easily. And see to it that your oil is hot enough, at least 350F. Low temperature will allow too much grease to get into the squid and that can soak the breading and cause it to fall off.